Rekindling
by petals-to-fish
Summary: He passes her the cardboard box and their fingers brush again only this time Lily doesn't pull away so quickly. This time Lily lingers, if only to be thrown back into another time when James was her everything. If he was willing, she'd let him be her everything again. (Happy Bday Elle-enjoy the Grocery Store/Smut Filled/Muggle AU that literally no one but you could love so much)


**For Elle aka my favorite neglectful queen-**

 **Happy birthday ya crazy old lady. Enjoy the Ye Olde Farmers Market Smut Fic I promised you probably like twenty years ago. I hope it's better than fucking Pas De Duex. lmao.**

 **Warning for my younger readers: smut again. don't say I didn't warn ya.**

* * *

 _So this is the way it goes_ , she supposes, _long lost lovers meeting awkwardly in a farmers market._

Hazel eyes hit her like a shot in the dark, freezing her in place like a stunned deer on a dark roadway. A curved eyebrow disappears into the curls that flop forward on his forehead in a messy pattern. A hand, tanned from the summer quickly fading, reaching into a barrel of ice to grab the peach cobbler she'd so thoughtlessly requested before looking. There was a slight bead of sweat on his temple from working on the unusually warm Fall day. His long raglan sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his jeans were held into place with a thick brown belt.

 _Does he remember who I am?_

He passes her the drink and she feels her chest cave in as their fingers brush and a storm of feelings crosses her mind as she realizes she is still in love with him after all these years.

"It's nice to see you again." he offered warmly, his hazel eyes never left her face.

Her heart is ringing when he finally spoke and she remembers him so fondly. She remembers the curve of his hand on her cheek and the soft touch of his lips against hers. She remembers late night study sessions and record stores. She remembers James so well that she feels as though she is more in love with him now than she ever had been at sixteen.

They'd broken it off when they both moved away from their small town, the pulls and lores of adult life ripping them apart from each other like opposite magnets. For Lily, she'd run towards a promise of a career as a chemist at a lab in Germany. As much as she'd loved Germany and the number of friends she'd made there during her four years away—something tugged her back to the small quaint town she once called home. Luckily, her boss had a fondness for her, and allowed her to work completely from her small flat back in England. Lily was thankful to be home. She loved walking the familiar hazy streets at night after visiting the bar for a drink with old friends. The town was so close to the coast that Lily could smell the sea, even now, while traversing the farmers market alone.

Lily's eyes take in James' sporty look and knew he hadn't given up on his own dreams—to play football professionally. He'd gone South before Lily had ever left for Germany. Their goodbye had been mutual but Lily always wondered what had happened to him. She'd always wondered what would've happened if they'd both tried a little bit harder to keep in touch.

She can almost imagine, now, what their life would've been like had they not run away so young.

"So what are you doing back here?"

"Why are you in town?"

They both laugh when the same probing question tumbles from their mouths at the same time. Lily flushes and tucks her red hair behind her ear, gazing down at the bottled bubbly James had placed on the small table between them. When she glances back up at James he is smiling at her so warmly that it makes her toes curl tightly in her shoes.

"You first." he urges, eager, as always.

"I—I moved back a few weeks ago."

"You went to Germany right?" James asks, "How was it?"

"Amazing," is all she could manage to say.

Lily is trying not to stare at the way his fingers mindlessly swirled the top of the bubbly.

Finally, she remembers to be polite, "Erm, what about you? Playing for Barcelona?"

"You didn't hear?" James asks suddenly, seeming surprised by her question.

"Erm, no?"

His eyes turn into liquid gold as he steps away from her so she can get a better look at him. Underneath the stand umbrella Lily watches as James lifts his shirt off slowly. Lily catches a glimpse of skin she hadn't seen in years appear at the waistband of his jeans before James turns completely around to show Lily his back. At first she didn't see anything, and then her eyes zeroed in on a thin red line on his back, remnants from stitches.

"You got hurt." she says stupidly, feeling like a total idiot.

"Herniated disk." James corrects, turning and dropping his shirt, "I'm off the field until doctors deem me well enough to play."

"James, I'm so sorry." Lily couldn't believe she hadn't heard the news, especially from her gossip-driven sister, "When did you get back?"

"Last week." James says kindly, "My neighbor asked if I didn't mind making a little extra cash."

Lily nods, "Of course." she says, "I suppose you aren't getting paid until you play again?"

"I still get a paycheck for disability." James shrugs, "But it's probably not as satisfying as your paycheck."

Lily laughs at that, "yeah, ok." she says sarcastically, thinking of her male counterparts paychecks and how much larger they were compared to hers.

Of course, Lily's laugh made a wide grin spread across James' face. Lily caught his grin, the one that made her stomach flip…the one he'd give her right before he intended to press his lips to her—Lily shakes herself from the thought.

They were weren't even friends now, _barely_ acquaintances. She couldn't ever assume he'd think of her like that again.

But even she could never forgot how _good_ he felt. James was not her last; he was her first and God, she knew that he could send her up in flames with just one touch.

Lily swallows to force down the feelings bubbling up inside of her, so ready for it, whatever it was that he may want to offer her.

"I hope this isn't entirely out of line since we haven't spoken in years." he says suddenly, "But you look beautiful today."

If Lily wanted him before, the feeling was nothing compared to the butterflies in her stomach now. Her smile flutters and her heart skips a beat as he pushes her bubbly towards her fingers. Lily chews on her lip thoughtfully as she takes her purchases willingly. Every time her eyes flutter up to James' face she is caught completely up in his charm.

"See you next week?" she asks kindly, hoping, wishing and praying he'd say sooner.

"Of course." she is immediately disappointed, "Next week."

She turns and makes her way down the rest of the Farmers Market. Lily's heart doesn't stop beating for James, net even after she arrives at her quiet flat. Their meeting had brought back so many memories and so many _needs_ and so many questions. Lily digs through her old chest of pictures until she found the ones with James. She found letters from James, dated back to their school days. By the end other night, James is covering her room, reminding Lily just how in love they had been.

 _Young and in love?_ Lily wonders about the old saying over a lover letter James had written for her at seventeen. W _as there anything better?_

As Lily lay alone in her bed that night remembering James' fingers against her skin (her own fingers itching to try and match his moan inducing touch) she doubted it.

When Lily wakes up the next morning, she called herself out for daydreaming about a long lost love so stupidly. She is an adult and she knows better than to assume James would fall back into her arms so readily. They had both done some growing while they'd been away. There was no telling if James was even the same person, let alone if he was even interested in her anymore. He is a famous footballer and no doubt, he has plenty of girls at his beck and call.

After all, Lily had dated a few men while in Germany and slept with all of them. It wasn't right of her to assume James had just swayed from meeting new girls, especially since both of them were so eager to get a taste of life outside of their little town.

Even still…a part of Lily hopes that James Potter still looks at her the same way she is looking at him when he's not paying attention.

She meets him again in the market a week later, as she promised. This time James wore a sweater as the fall air had finally become cooler. The sweater is one that she'd seen many times. He'd worn it every day in school. The maroon looked lovely against his skin and the glow in his cheeks was unmistakable when he spots her coming up the road in her tights and dress.

"You look lovely." he said when she stops at his cart to began examining the pies available, "Did you enjoy the peach cobbler?"

"It was alright." Lily tells him truthfully, "I don't think I'll be as adventurous this time."

"Not feeling up to the adventure?" he leans on the counter and stares at her through a pair of familiar thick rimmed glasses.

"You're wearing you glasses." Lily says offhandedly, surprised almost.

James nods, "My contacts were such a pain in the arse this morning, I resorted back to these sweet things."

Lily can remember the day James had come home from football tryouts sporting the no-glasses look. She hadn't told him then, but she much preferred him when he looked like he did now: vulnerable and bookish behind his frames. A lot of people in school assumed James was a jock and nothing more, but Lily knew he had more than his sportiness to offer the world. He was very good at maths, always scoring perfect in every class. James loved reading, although his favorite book was any book that boasted a bloody mystery that he wanted to solve before the book ended.

"I like them." she tells him truthfully and he smiles even wider.

"I know." he answers cheekily, "You hated when I swapped 'em out after school."

"I never said that!" Lily disagrees.

"I could see it written plain as day on your face Evans," James laughs at her denial, "we've known each other since we were eleven! You can't get anything past me."

His statement brings her own smile down, faltering, "Has it really been that long?"

"Feels longer," he replies, "To be honest."

She doesn't answer and instead pretends to be examining the pies laid out on a napkin for passerby. She can feel the intensity of James' stare and red creeps up her neck as she tries to understand why she was still so attracted to man she hadn't seen in years. She wordlessly motions to the sweet potato pie so that James can wrap it up for her in a to-go box. James works slowly and a part of Lily imagines he is doing so to keep her there longer. He passes her the cardboard box and their fingers brush again only this time Lily doesn't pull away so quickly. This time Lily lingers, if only to be thrown back into another time when James was her everything.

If he was willing, she'd let him be her everything again.

"Do you get a break?" she asks, tucking the boxed pie into her small satchel.

"Yes." he glances at his watch, "Good thing about being paid under the table is that I can take my lunch whenever I please."

"Want to grab some salad at the greens stand?" Lily asks him, making sure to blink a few extra times, working on his wiles.

She hardly needs to try because James lightens up and places the sign on the table that says he'll be back and walks out from around the cart. She is instantly reminded of how tall he is. He towers over her a good four or five inches. He looks down at her with a fondness in his eyes she hoped she wasn't imagining.

"Did you shrink?" he slouches at her.

"I was going to ask if they gave you steroids in Barcelona." Lily teases back, resisting the urge to poke him in the side like she used to do, "You're so _tall_."

"And you are a leprechaun, Evans."

" _Hey_!"

He laughs and makes his way up the road, carrying his weight easily, almost strutting down the street. She missed the look he sent back at her, the one that promised a good time if she only followed his movements. She follows him easily, straightening her dress, a green first color that she'd pick just for the occasion. She had seen James' eyes trace it's pattern when he'd first seen her, his eyes had lingered on the hem that sat just above her knee.

"So, salad?" James asks as they surveyed the stands for lunch.

"I know you won't eat the lamb kabobs at Pickles' Corner." Lily jokes, James being her only vegetarian friend.

"God, _gross_ , absolutely not." James agrees, "I'm not an animal!"

"James, as a human you are, quite literally, an animal." Lily deadpans with a snort.

James mocks her before pushing at her playfully, however his touch caught her off guard and she slipped a bit against the slick pavement. James catches her elbow when he saw her left leg splay out in front of her to catch her balance. When Lily looks up all she sees is the kaleidoscope of his eyes: yellows and greens and browns. Gorgeous.

"You really ought to be more careful." he says as he lets her go to regain her balance.

"Maybe if certain _animals_ weren't pushing me." she says vehemently.

He laughs outloud again and rolls his eyes as he leads the way up the street. They get salads and take the boxes of greens to go so that they can rummage through vintage carts and stare at odd art pieces being sold in tents. James is like a kid in a candy shop when they stumble upon an old comic book collector and he promptly tries to buy the old man out. Lily reigns James back, reminding he he probably didn't need all 27 volumes of _Warden Wilkons the Wonder Wombat_.

"Come on Lil," he had long since thrown away his salad and was now holding a whole stack of comics dedicated to a childhood favorite, "These are classics."

"It's your money." Lily says with a roll of her eyes, "But your mum would murder you if she found out."

"If she found out." James reminds her, "My mum hardly comes into my room anymore—I am an adult."

"Questionable." Lily flicks the pages of the comics playfully.

In the end James drops the comics, save for a first edition, and the pair make their way up the street farther until the farmers market had waned and they became surrounded by the downtown shops and boutiques. James led the way to a bench by the flower shop. The flowers decorating the street side were overflow from the store. Halloween decorations are cheerily inlaid with orange and gold mums while solid and towering sunflowers take up the store window. He sits down, sighing deeply as he does so.

"That feels nice," he says before hitting the seat next to him, "Drop it, Evans."

"Are you okay?" she asks, concerned by the relief on his face when finally he sat down.

"Yeah," he opens one eye so that when he grins at her, he looks ridiculous, "It just hurts to stand or walk for long periods of time."

"James!" Lily grabs his shoulder worriedly, "I'm sorry!"

"I'm fine!" he protests instantly, opening both eyes to look at her, "You're helping my recovery, really. The physical terrorist says I need to walk more."

Lily lifts her brow, "The physical what?"

James laughs, "My physical therapist. She kicks my ass and I swear I'll never make it out of therapy alive—I call her my _physical terrorist_ because she's evil _._ "

Lily blinks rapidly, "James that's not politically correct."

He replies in that annoying way he often used as kids to brush her aside, "You're not politically correct."

Lily's smile lifts more at him, "You're stupid."

"You're stupid." he mocks her, like he always used to.

That's when Lily realized her hand was still on James' shoulder and he had leaned in so that their faces were a little too close. Too close for two people who were supposed to be friends. James' hand reaches over to brush her fringe from her eyes.

"I always thought you looked great with bangs." he says lazily, his touch making her lose her concentration, "But then you grew them out right before we broke up."

"I thought I'd look more professional." she says to him, dropping her graze and dropping her hand, "But I hate my forehead."

"What?" James chuckles deeply, "Lily—"

"No really." Lily tells him seriously, "I think I have a huge forehead."

"Your forehead is subpar and average." he rolls his eyes at her, like he's unable to believe her insecurities.

"Gee, thanks." Lily snorts before sighing and glancing his way again, "James?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks for getting lunch with me."

His smile is wide and toothy. They sit there for a few more minutes, watching people pass by. Lily is surprised at how comfortable she still feels around him. Everything is so easy—it was like they had fallen right back into being each others best friends; just without the benefits.

James finally suggests that he has to get back to the pie stand and Lily stands up, following his lead. She does not miss the way James' hand brushes against her lower back as if to help her stand. The moment she felt his hands touch though, it was gone. She tries really hard to hide her disappointment.

Once they were back at the cart, James turns to look at her nervously, "I hate to say this, but I don't have your number anymore."

"Oh!" Lily perks up happily, "Yeah, my number is new too."

She reaches into her satchel and pulls out a pen and a sheet of white parchment paper she normally used to write down her chemistry work notes. With a messy scrawl she writes out her number and includes her name with a childish smiley face that makes James smile fondly. She is flushing red as he tucks the parchment into his pocket.

"Well," he says awkwardly, "Thanks."

Now Lily felt awkward, she wasn't sure how to say goodbye.

 _Should I hug him?_ She wonders. _Kiss his cheek?_

Finally, James sticks his hand out to Lily like they had just shared a business deal. Lily's face is flushed so brightly red that when she checks it in her pocket mirror as she walks away from James, she is certain it looks like she'd gotten a rash across the bridge of her nose.

She makes it home and she works a little of her time away but soon she can't help but pull back out the pictures she'd forced herself to put away the night before. She wishes more than anything that James could understand how conflicted she is feeling inside.

 _What if fate had brought them back together?_

Just then, her phone rings. She slides across the wooden floor in her nylon tights before picking up the chubby phone delicately between her fingertips. She places the receiver to her ear and is instantly greeted by a familiar deep voice.

"Lily."

"James." she is pleasantly surprised, "Forget something?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to come see a bland play at The Underground tonight. I hear they're pretty rad."

"Tonight?"

"We can go another night if you have plans, or a date, or _erm_ —"

 _Bless him,_ Lily thinks to herself, _He's so awkward sometimes._

"No, no," she assures him, "I'm free."

"Perfect, I'll pick you up a eight!" he hangs up and she can hardly hide the smile when he calls back moments later.

"Hello?"  
"Sorry, what's your address?"

"213 E Nora Street."

"Thanks. See you tonight."

"See you later."

James arrives promptly at eight dressed in the same clothes he'd been wearing to the farmers market. Lily had kept on her dress but had settled for a jean jacket around her shoulders to keep the fall chill from freezing her. James' eyes take in her small flat as she fusses with her cat, trying to get the damn thing to eat it's food. She spots his hands linger about her kitchen table, where, she remembers that she left the pictures of them tucked inside a manila folder. She hopes he doesn't look too closely and save her from the embarrassment.

"Ready?" she offers when her cat has finally eaten.

"Yes." James beams at her before taking her down the stairs of her flat and down into the cool autumn air.

As they walk to the bar downtown, only a few blocks from Lily's, James makes small talk. Lily learns that his family still owns the large property outside of town and that his father had sold the family company in order to retire comfortably. Lily tells James about her sister and the unfortunate husband attached to her side. She tells him that her father passed away but her mum was still hanging on long enough to see Lily married.

As they pull up to the bar James has her almost crying, laughing at a story about the time he got drunk in Barcelona and tried to ask where a bathroom was, only to embarrass himself further.

"And then—" James is swiping a tear from one of his eyes, "She threw the entire bar of soap at my head!"

"The pig fat soap?" Lily can feel her smile, it's so wide it actually hurts.

"The pig fat soap!" James confirms, "My best friend, Sirius, he plays defense—he grabbed the soap and threw it right back!"

"It sounds like you had quite the adventures in Barcelona." Lily says as James pays for their tickets out front.

"I miss it." James tells her as they entered the smokey bar and the volume rose ten decibels, "But I missed the quiet town."

"Quiet." Lily laughs, gesturing around them as voices and music rose to a crescendo.

"Well, quiet _er_." James laughs too, taking her hand and leading her through the crowds.

Lily's eyes stay fixed on their hands and how easy it was to loop their fingers together—because they'd done it so many times before. James kept ahold of her hand until they'd reached the stage where a group wearing punk rock ensemble stood rocking out to their guitars and bass players. Lily recognizes some of the songs from the radio but James, always the music connoisseur, knows every lyric. He shouts some of them loudly, especially if there are explicative words, as they dance together underneath hot bar lights. When they were kids they used to try and sneak into this particular bar to see their favorite bands. Now that they didn't have to sneak in, it was almost nostalgic.

"Remember when we convinced them you were that underwear model!" Lily giggles over her mug of beer, "I'll never forget the look on the guys face when you offered to strip for him!"

Jame laughs too, setting his hand on her knee, "God, I forgot about that." he smiles warmly at her, "We always did have the best times together, didn't we?"

"The best." she agrees as his thumb drew circles over her nylons, "You would've thought we would've kept in touch better."

"Writing letters only did us well for so long, huh?" James says, eyes darkening at the thought, "I was stupid, young, and caught up in football."

"You weren't stupid." she chastises, "You were chasing a dream."

"Yeah," but he didn't look entirely convinced as he drew his hand away from her knee and looked ashamedly towards the stage where a new band was setting up to preform.

After two more beers though, James' hands are attached to Lily in a way that is possessive and sexy. It was all intoxicating as the lights are flashing white in her eyes and the dance floor is glowing red as James' hands naturally trace up and down her sides. She rocks and rolls to the unfamiliar beats of the drum while he buries his face into her hair and her hands reach up to wrangle her fingers through the locks atop his head. She remembers entirely what it felt like, to have James so close…he gives her more and more butterflies with each calculated touch.

She turns and throws her hands around his neck, swinging her hips in time to the beat and smiling up at James' euphoric look. He got a playful look in his eyes and suddenly their hands are interlocked and he is sweeping her across the dace floor dramatically. People laugh as he twirls her in circles and dips her over his arm. She is laughing so hard that she can hardly breathe, the butterflies in her stomach replaced with contempt and pure happiness.

"I lov—" she catches herself before James hears her try and say the words _I love you_ during a particularly dramatic dip.

She is a little too drunk and they are just a little too late for those feelings.

She still doesn't know if James had a girlfriend but she doubts it with the way he's devouring her smile with his eyes. With the help of some food in her stomach and a glass of water, Lily walks back to her flat beside James much later. He is recounting another time when he'd almost gotten a nose piercing after losing a game and a bet. He notices Lily's soft laugh, not at all the loud braying he was used to accompanying his stories.

"You alright?" he asks as they come to a stop in front of her flat.

The fairy lights Lily's mum had wrapped along the iron wrought handrail flicker in the darkness and light up James' face in a otherworldly way. The flickering lights on his tan skin are making him look as if he were partially with Lily on the steps and partially a memory, long gone and untouchable.

"Mind if I come in?" he asks when she says nothing, "My back kinda hurts from all that dancing."

"Of course." Lily winces as she turns away from him to quickly to unlock her door, "I'll get you an ice pack."

"I love you." the words falling from his mouth are way more playful than the truthful statement she'd almost said on the dance floor.

His eyes are blazing when she hands him the ice pack after sitting him down on her sofa. Lily leaves him only so she can change into her old sweats and a messy bun. He is snoring on the couch by the time she made it back out to check on him. His glasses are slipping down his nose and he looks younger, more like the boy she used to sneak into bars with at sixteen. With a smile, Lily shuts off the lights around James and went into her bedroom alone, lulled to sleep by his familiar soft snores.

The next morning James apologizes profusely for falling asleep on her sofa but she waves his concerns away and offers hm a cuppa before he heads to physical therapy. James accepts her offer graciously and it might be nothing, the way his eyes assess her over his cuppa, but God, Lily hoped it was _something_.

The next few weeks were simultaneously the best and worst weeks of Lily's life. James spends all his time around her being perfectly bordered on the line between friends and—something more. Whenever he comes over to her flat on market days to drop off some pie, he lingers a little longer than he probably ought too, always asking her about her day and always sounding genuinely interested in her job. Sometimes he stops by unannounced at night with her favorite wine and some Chinese picked up from the local shop. They sit and argue over which TV show to watch, only to end up popping in one of Lily's old tapes. Sometimes James would call, in pain, and tell her he couldn't show for normal nightly rendezvous to the bar or to dinner.

"My physical terrorist murdered me today." he often complains into the receiver, making her chortle from all his dramatics.

"How far did you run today?"

"No running," he says, "I just had to do thirty thousand leg lifts to help my lower back."

"Thirty thousand is a lot."

"Shut up, Lily."

"How do you feel?"

"Unloved."

Lily laughs at him, but every time he calls she manages to make her way uptown to the old Potter cottage and offer him some company over TV Dinners and music on the tellie. Lily grows accustomed to James again, feeling as if their time away from each other had only been for the sake of their careers, not because feelings had waned.

It is Lily's own mother who brings up their weird relationship one night after Lily had arrived at her childhood home with James at her hip. They'd both brought their mums dinner for mothers day. James left soon after paying his compliments to Mrs. Evans but Lily's mum was quick to sit her daughter down.

"Are you seeing him again?" she was always one to get to the point, Lily's mother.

"We're just friends." Lily averts her eyes and stares at her knees.

"Ah," Mrs. Evans' green eyes always could read Lily's face easily, "You still like him."

Lily stands up and plays with the edge of her shirt as she says shyly, "I never stopped liking him."

"You look happier." Lily's mother's voice rang in her head long after she'd left.

Things between her and James became rigid again. She couldn't shake the feelings that they were friends, but they acted like they were more than. James is always brining her dinner and always complimenting her. Lily is always showing up to physical therapy with James' favorite scones and some coffee. They are always dancing the fragile line between friends and lovers.

Even when they are sitting alone in her flat, playing cards, the tension between them is so thick that sometimes Lily feels as if she is unable to breathe.

Tonight, he is cooking them dinner at the stove, determined to prove to her he learned to cook while in Barcelona. He brought a brown paper bag full of supplies for vegan tacos and an unopened beer sits next to him as he reads directions in his cookbook. Music floats around her flat, giving a calm atmosphere and Lily is staring at James, pensive. His glasses are sliding down his nose so much that he takes them off, discarding them near the sink covered in shrimp peels. His sleeves are rolled up and she admires his flawless arms as nonchalantly as she can without being obvious.

"You look so serious when you're cooking." she is teases him, as per usual, just in attempt to get his eyes to send her a warning.

She's hooked onto all the ways he stares at her and when he glares at her from across the counter she smiles gleefully.

"See?" she chirps.

"Shove off Evans and let me cook you dinner."

"Don't worry, I've got that Chinese place down the block on speed dial."

"Get over here and help me."

Lily rolls her eyes but slips off her stool to walk around to the counter here James is slicing tomatoes with a small knife. He nods to the block of cheese beside him.

"Start grating." he orders and she raises an eyebrow at him so that a feeble _please_ falls from his lips.

Lily settles, barefoot, beside James. They work in silence, their shoulders brushing up against each other. She reaches for a bowl at the same time as him and when they unexpectedly touch, chills shoot up her spine. James goes rigid beside her and she sees his face turn. She meets his stare and she almost drops the cheese grater. He's chewing on his lower lip to hide his smile.

"What?" she whispers.

"This is how I always imagined us you know." he whispers back.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," he explains softly, placing down the knife he's holding, "That when we were going out I always imagined us as an older couple. Cooking together, drinking a little too much wine, and raising a group of wild kids together." when she doesn't answer he asks, "Is that crazy?"

"Do you still think like that?" she places her cheese grater down so she can prepare herself for whatever happens next.

James' hazel eyes cross back and forth across her face, reading it so readily, "Do you want to hear the truth?"

"Yes."

"I've thought about you almost every day since you walked up to that stand in the farmers market." her breath hitches and his hand touches her face, lifting it so she can't look away, "I've been wondering why the Hell I ever thought I could live without you."

"That makes two of us," she admits and he looks hopeful, "I was so ready to get out of this town. So ready to make something of myself. I didn't realize that I'm my best self when I'm with you."

There's barely a flicker between them and then his lips crash to hers in an all too familiar way. He stills bites her playfully and he still uses his tongue to open her mouth wider. She is lost in the familiar way he guides her by her hips to the nearest helpful surface—in this case the sofa they had abandoned for dinner. James' jacket is still raped across the arm but that swiftly falls to the floor as James lays her down gently so that he overtop of her. His elbows are propped, holding the back of her head as he kisses her in a way that she missed more than she cares to admit.

Her hips rise to the rhythm of their starving bodies and he moans as she steals any coherent words from his lips by her rolling hips. He rips his mouth from hers to glare at her when she attempts a second move, bent on driving him mad. It works, to her immense pleasure.

"Sorry." she giggles, not meaning her apology one bit.

"Impatient." he chastises before sitting up despite her protest.

" _James_."

He's straddling her, so Lily sits up too and that's how James takes control of the situation. James' hands instantly delve to her shirt, a loose white one, pulling it over her head in one swift move. He is kissing her to keep her mind elsewhere as his fingers snap her bra and let the fabric fall to the floor next to the other discarded clothes. The minute his warms hands begin their soft touches across her breasts, he sighs into her mouth and she adjusts so that he is no longer straddling her. The cool air between them was not pleasurable but Lily had ulterior motives—ones that involve his own shirt joining hers on the floor and his jeans being pushed down his hips by her eager hands.

She has never felt so, euphoric. She feels like she's been locked in a room with the finest wine and was never allowed to have a taste, until now. James' fingers are tracing her nipples but his attack is paused when her own hands manage to make headway with his pants.

"Down." she pushes his shoulders lightly.

"So commanding." he complies with a gleam in his eyes, sitting down properly on the sofa and kicking his jeans off round his ankles as she kneels quickly on the floor in front of James.

The minute her lips touch his thigh, so delicately, his knuckles turn white against the sofa. She smirks and lets her lips trail along his skin, so keen for what is coming. She remembers his moans and she's almost beside herself, excited to hear him again, excited to touch him again. As she licks along the length of his dick, James jumps and rewards Lily with a short, breathy laugh.

"You. Are. A. Tease."

His breathy sentence is lost to another moan as her mouth covers him entirely and she sucks and moves her tongue in ways that cause his fingers to wrap in strands of her hair, pressing her into him as he favorably bucks into her firm hold.

"Lily," he begs as she licks him up in a way that has him shaking under her, "Lily— _please_ love—"

She stops suddenly, leaving him on edge and completely unsatisfied. He takes a moment, his head pushing against the sofa cushions and sweat beading on his forehead. That look, one so completely trusting and selfish, makes Lily want him more. She stands up only to straddle him so that his cock is pressed, insistent, against her.

"Oh _god_ ," he partially laughs and partially moans, "You'll be the death of me, Evans."

"I missed you." she murmurs into his skin, kissing and biting her way across his collarbone, "I fucking missed this."

James recovered quickly and seems to be determined to make her feel as helpless as he had felt because while Lily is pressing butterfly kisses across his neck, his fingers dip between them and she gasps in distinct, familiar pleasure as he circles her clit like he is tracing a picture he knew by heart. Moments later her head is bent back in ecstasy, leaning into his touch possessively, feeling as if she might never be able to move after this. She is clenching her legs so tightly as she rocks into his touch that her toes curl and her heart beats faster.

"Fuck." James whispers as he slips his fingers inside of her, exploiting her like he always did, "Damn it Evans, you're _sopping_."

Lily is certain her lip might bleed, she's biting it so hard in response to James' touch. The motions of his fingers and the return of his attention to her clit have her whimpering above him. Her fingers are bite on his shoulders and her throat is tight as she rides into his touch with a growing need that causes her to beg him to go harder, faster, and deeper. She can feel his erection and her body is shaking as he moans in harmony with her. His fingers have left her and are now wrapped up in her hair as she rocks her body into his, dancing on his lap desperately.

"Fuck me." she begs, "Like you always used too."

She stops rocking against him long enough for him to position himself better. Their foreheads crash together as she settles in around him and pushes with a move that has to have James seeing stars. His eyes close in bliss as she rises and falls against him, riding him with the plan to finish him off without any help but James uses his arms to twist them, placing her on her back so that he presses over of her. Her fingernails dig into him when he pulls out just enough to push back into her with a playful kick. His hands are on either side of her head and he is pushing into her with such velocity that she's arching herself to meet him halfway. Her fingers reach between them and she rubs her own clit, the combination is driving her spare, but James is closer, she can feel it in his swaying thrusts.

Her legs are shaking and her breath is hitched as James gives one final trust before collapsing against her, moaning into her hair. He knows she's close and so he pulls back almost second later and trails kisses along her stomach as he leaves her there, sweaty and still massaging herself. he picks up her knees and spreads them so that he can get a better angle before his nose nudges her fingers away.

His tongue swirls her clit and she's can feel it, the urge to scream. She can feel her heart tighten as his teeth nip her. His fingers push into her with enough force to have her almost believe it is his dick fucking her up. She is under so much pressure that she is gripping the fabric of the sofa and begging him to keep going, to never stop. If he gave her butterflies just looking at her, that was nothing compared to the feeling of his tongue licking into her in a way that should've been illegal—it was so addicting—the feeling of his mouth against her sensitive skin.

She is so close, so much so, that when the feelings hit she is still begging James not to stop through the waves of her own orgasm.

She is planning to sit up and kiss him again until she is too tired to move. She has so many other plans, but James is doting, kissing her thighs a little too slow. Suddenly his fingers are on her again, building her up like a slow, slow tempo for a second time. Despite his slow actions and calm kisses, she is getting to the edge quicker and moaning louder than before. James' smirk is burning into her skin as she falls apart under his touch for the second time that night.

 _So this is the way it goes_ , she supposes, _old lovers recklessly rebuilding what they had never lost._


End file.
